


Enigma

by xluminaheart



Category: Epithet Erased (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, But mainly Percy centric tho not everything is her POV, Fluff, Fluff & Angst, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Romantic Relationships, Multi, No spoilers its an AU, Percy n Zora n Ramsey centric, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Slow Burn, Slow Burn, what even is characterisation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:00:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22107481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xluminaheart/pseuds/xluminaheart
Summary: “ Percival King was proving to be a strange person so far. Strange, but not unlikeable. So far she had shown little to no reaction to anything Zora said, but Zora wasn’t complaining...”AKA an Epithet Erased High School AU because I’m trash.Percy is a new student at Sweet Jazz City High who catches the attention of Zora Salazar, the local self proclaimed “All-knowing” rebel cowgirl while making friends with everyone’s favourite Gerbil Rat Man, who in this AU is eighteen.
Relationships: But really you can read it as romantic or platonic, Implied/referenced Percival “Percy” King/Ramsey Murdoch, Implied/referenced Zora Salazar/Percival “Percy” King, Percival “Percy” King & Ramsey Murdoch, There’s not really? Ramsey/Percy but again you can read it as romantic if you wanf, Zora Salazar & Percival “Percy” King
Comments: 108
Kudos: 144





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I took some liberties with the age gaps since character ages hadn’t been confirmed for everyone and no birthdays have been confirmed.
> 
> Age list:
> 
> Zora, Percy, Ramsey, Meryl, Mera, Electric Gremlin Girl, Howie: 17-18 (american high school juniors/british year 12/lower 6)  
> Indus: 16  
> Arnold & Bugsy: 14  
> Giovanni: 13  
> Sylvie: 10  
> Molly: 7  
> In-universe adults e.g. Sheriff, Molly’s dad, Giovanni’s mum: 25+
> 
> Side note: Epithets still exist in this AU!
> 
> Special thanks to Spectator and Windmill for beta-ing and helping me with characterisation!

The sound of the bell cut through the break time chatter as the students of Sweet Jazz City High scattered in all directions, lest they were late for class. After all, the school had a reputation for harsh punishments, and the headteacher was incredibly keen on punctuality. Any self respecting student, even the rebellious ones, knew where to draw the line.

Even so, it was several minutes later when Zora crept down the empty hallway, praying that no teachers were looking out of the door as she made her way towards the end of the corridor. So what if she got detention? She’d rather take an hour out of her after-school time to do homework than sit in English and listen to her teacher drawl on about archaic poetry. 

She peeked through the door. Room 7 was empty, and Room 6’s teacher seemed to be far too engaged in equations to notice. Room 5 had a single teacher in it, marking papers… Suddenly, the floorboard creaked beneath her, causing her to freeze. In any case, the teacher was too distracted to notice her. Zora breathed a sigh of relief. The last room in the corridor was empty too. Great. Now all she had to do was march round the corner and-

“Shit!”

“Oh, I’m sorry- Are you alright?”

_So much for freedom._ Zora looked back, scowling, ready to curse at whoever had been in her way. The roadblock in question was in fact a girl? Guy? ...person, with short blonde hair and freckles, carrying a- was that a sword? They didn’t look like anyone Zora knew. Were they even a student here? They certainly looked young enough to be one, but if they were, Zora would surely know who. 

“My apologies for being in your way.” The person said, looking up at her with concerned blue eyes. A girl, then, judging from the sound of her voice. _Plus, she has boobs. That’s gotta be a sign._ “I hope you are unharmed?”

Zora felt her scowl disappearing. “Me? Yeah, I’m just peachy.” She said with a wave of her hand. “It’s fine.” She was about to walk off when the girl called,

“Wait!” 

Zora turned. 

  
“I may be mistaken, but… I believe you and I share the same english teacher.” The girl began. _Shit,_ Zora thought. _Shit shit shit._ How was she supposed to skip now? Also, since when was this girl in her class? Zora knew every person who went to Sweet Jazz City High, regardless of age, so who the hell was this girl? 

“And since I’m new here, I don’t quite know my way around yet.” The girl continued, seemingly unaffected by the bizarre combination of confusion, annoyance and panic Zora was sure her face was showing. A new girl? But there was only one new student this year, and Zora was 99.9 percent sure that he was a guy. “According to our homeroom teacher-” _We share homeroom too?_ Zora wanted to yell. _How do I not know you?_ “-we have a room change to room fifteen, but I‘m not quite certain as to where that is. So, as we’re going to the same place, would you mind showing me the way?” She finished.

_There’s really no way out of this, huh?_ Zora shrugged. “Yeah, sure.” She began to lead the way down the other end of the corridor until they reached a door marked “15”. Before Zora had even reached out her hand, the other girl stepped forward and opened the door. 

“My apologies for being late, sir, I got quite lost on the way here.”

“No worries, Percy, please sit.” The girl- _Percy? What on earth could Percy be short for?_ \- nodded and made her way to the back of the classroom. The teacher turned to Zora, raising an eyebrow. “And you, Zora. Why are _you_ late to class? Unlike Miss King here, I find it hard to believe that you got lost too, especially after four years at this school.” The class tittered. 

“Hey, not my fault no one told me about the room change!” Zora dropped her bag onto her desk and sat down. “If I’d _known_ , I’d have gotten here on time, wouldn’t I?” She grinned at the teacher, who let out an exasperated sigh. 

“Please make an attempt to pay more attention to the student bulletin in the future, Miss Salazar.” 

“Sure thing, mister.” The class tittered again. With enormous effort, the teacher decided to ignore Zora, but gave her a stern look. 

“Now, as I was saying, we were taking a look at…”

“I thought you were skipping today.” Mera whispered, moving her textbook so that Zora had more room for her things. “What happened?”

“Bumped into _her_.” She nodded towards Percy. “Had to show her to class or it’d look suspicious. Speaking of…”

Zora glanced around the room. Percy was either staring into space or completely fixated on the whiteboard at the front, scribbling notes without even looking down for a second. Her sword- was that even a real sword? Was she even allowed to carry that around school? - stood next to her bag, propped against the desk. 

“Who even is she? I mean, the only new student I’d heard about was a guy, and I know pretty much everything around here!” 

“Uh, Zora-” Mera began, but Zora carried on. 

“No one told me there was a new girl, let alone some girl who carries a sword and talks like she grew up in a castle two centuries ago. I didn’t even know she was in my class!”

“You didn’t know _I_ was in your class for three months last year.”

“Okay, you have a point.” Zora admitted. “Still, the only new student I heard about was some guy called Percival-” Percival. _Percy. Miss King._ Oh god, she’d been stupid. “King…” 

She turned to Mera. “Percy is short for _Percival_?” Zora asked, open-mouthed. 

“Yeah, and the new guy you were banging on about is a new girl. About time you caught up with the program.” Mera shrugged.

“Hold up, you _knew_ ? And I _didn’t_ ?” Zora resisted the urge to yell. “She’s been here, for _nearly two whole weeks_ , and this whole time I thought she was a _guy_?” 

Mera nodded. 

“ _Ugh_.” Zora buried her face in her arms, then looked up. “And ya didn’t tell me?”

“Hey, don’t blame me, I thought you knew. You know, _Zora Salazar knows all_ and all that?” Mera grinned at her friend’s scowl. “Also, teach is staring at you, so you might wanna look like you’re actually paying attention for once.”

“Yeah, whatever. Gimme some gum.”

Mera slid a packet across the desk. Zora pocketed it, then pulled out a pen and began to annotate her textbook, although it wasn’t so much annotating as it was half-heartedly copying down whatever Mera wrote in varying degrees of neatness. Despite Mera’s warning, she couldn’t help but occasionally glance up in Percy’s direction. What was she doing carrying a sword around? Why had she transferred to Sweet Jazz City High a whole month into the school year, instead of at the beginning like everybody else? Hell, why transfer in the first place? 

Maybe she had to move house, Zora thought. She didn’t seem like she was from Sweet Jazz City. She certainly didn’t sound like it- Zora had never heard anyone talk like Percy in her life. Or at least, anyone under the age of thirty-five. But if that was the case, why not move earlier?

_Maybe her family got evicted from their home_ , she thought. But what kind of poor person would carry an expensive freaking sword? Zora knew money wasn’t the only reason people got evicted, but she couldn’t imagine someone like Percy involved in any sort of crime. Maybe she waved her sword around a little too much and broke the window, she thought with a silent laugh. Still, it seemed unlikely for someone who appeared as calm and well, _normal_ as Percy. If you could class “carrying a sword” as normal, that is.

What kind of person was she? So far, all Zora knew was that she was polite, talked weirdly and carried a sword. Presumably a good student as well, judging from the way she listened as the teacher spoke. But that wasn’t a sign of intelligence; more obedience and a desire to do well, which didn’t always translate into results. Zora considered herself damn lucky she was so damn smart; she wouldn’t have the will to do well in school anyway. She was fairly certain that if she was any less smart, no teacher would forgive her antics that easily. No, she couldn’t be certain that Percy was clever just yet. 

Zora looked at her again. Percy seemed to be deep in thought, and despite her fast writing speed she didn’t appear to be writing all that much. Zora hadn’t heard her speak all lesson, and she didn’t look like she was listening to the other students’ conversations. So she could either be listening closely to the teacher talking (highly unlikely, but then again, Percy didn’t seem all that normal), or daydreaming (highly likely). Maybe if Zora tried to catch her attention…

“Now, if you’ll all turn to page ninety-three, I’ll be setting you some comprehension questions on this chapter for homework.” The teacher’s voice cut through Zora’s thoughts and she nearly jumped. Page ninety-three? What page was she even on? Zora looked down in horror to find that she’d still been scribbling away on page eighty-nine. _Well, fuck._

“Mera, can you send me your notes?” She whispered, shovelling her books into her bag, crushing a few pages in the process. 

“ _Again_?” Mera raised an eyebrow. 

“You were going to anyway!” Zora reminded her.

“Fine, but you’re not copying my homework.”

“Class, you may now pack up.” The teacher stood up and gathered his things. He looked sternly at Zora, who had already packed and was now perched on the desk, a cocky grin on her face. “Please do not leave before the bell rings.” 

“Wow, imagine saying that and leaving before the bell rings,” Zora said loudly, as soon as the teacher had walked out. The class laughed. Zora looked around to see Percy’s reaction, but the other girl had hardly reacted at all. Her face was expressionless; it was as if she hadn’t heard Zora speak. Zora raised an eyebrow. _Interesting._

_Ding ding ding!_

The classroom door was thrown open and students began to filter out at the sound of the bell, talking in increasingly loud voices. 

“New girl’s a tough nut to crack, huh?” Zora said, as she waited for Mera to pack her stuff away. The other girl was carefully tucking her notes into her books before placing them in her bag, one at a time. “Geez, Mera, with how slow you’re going I’d think that your notes were the ones that were fragile, not you!” 

“Maybe she just didn’t hear you.” Mera suggested, ignoring Zora’s jab with a roll of her eyes. “She could’ve been lost in thought.” 

“Thought of what, ancient poetry?” Zora snorted. “Although you might have a point, seeing how she was actually paying attention. Only other person I’ve seen listen like her is Howie Honeyglow when teach says ‘extra credit’. Now hurry up, we only get five minutes till the next lesson and if I’m late again Mrs D’s gonna have an aneurysm.” 

“Excuse me.” 

Zora looked up. Percy was stood there, sword by her side and her school bag swung over her shoulder. _What could she want?_ “Sorry if I’m interrupting something, but can we talk?”

Zora looked back at Mera, who raised an eyebrow. _Do you want me to go?_ She mouthed. _If you want,_ Zora mouthed back. She nodded, and walked off. 

“I realise I hadn’t thanked you for showing me the way.” Percy said. “That was very kind of you.” 

_So that’s what this was about._ Zora almost laughed.

“No problem.” She grinned. “Happy to help. So?”

“So…?” Percy looked at her, confused. 

“You aren’t gonna say anything else?”

“Am I supposed to?” 

“Well, if you were just gonna say ‘thank you’, you woulda just said it straight up insteada doing all this.” 

“Would I?” Percy considered this for a moment, before nodding. “I suppose that would make more sense. Apologies for interrupting your conversation.” 

“Nah, it’s fine.” Zora said with a wave of her hand. “It wasn’t important.” 

Percy looks at her expectantly.

“What?” Zora asks.

“I thought you were about to leave. I assumed it would be more polite of me to let you go first.” Percy says, so matter-of-factly that Zora had to stifle a laugh.

“You’re funny, Percy. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who talks like ya.”

“That’s just how I speak. Do you have a problem with it?” Percy said mildly

_Is that a threat?_ Zora wondered. Percy didn’t seem very threatening so far, but Zora noticed her hand lingering near the hilt of her sword. Whether she intended to use it or not, Zora had no idea. 

Out loud, she said, “Course not! I ain’t the type to judge people like that.” 

Percy seemed to relax a bit at that, so Zora took the chance to ask a question.

“Say, is that a real ass god damn sword?” She gestured to the sword strapped to Percy’s waist. 

“That’s my fencing sabre, but I do own a more traditional weapon which I keep at…” She pauses. “Home.” _Something’s going on there, huh?_ Zora made a mental note to ask her about it later. “I suppose you could classify that as a ‘real ass god damn sword’.” 

Zora laughed, earning a slightly bemused look from Percy. “How come you’re carrying it around school then?” 

“Well, I would hope to store it in my locker, since I often have fencing directly after school, but it appears that it doesn’t fit. So I have permission to carry it around with me until the school finds a suitable solution. It’s sheathed, so it can’t harm anyone.” Percy said, her expression neutral again. 

“Could it, if you wanted to?” Zora asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“I suppose I could.” Percy shrugged. “However-

The bell rung again, louder this time. 

“Oh dear.” said Percy. “I suppose we should have set off earlier.”

Zora burst out laughing at that. “Well, I better head off before my maths teacher murders me. Old lady’s been threatening to give me detention for a week! See ya round, Percy.” 

“Goodbye.” Percy said. Was it just Zora’s imagination, or was there a hint of a smile on her face as she walked away? If there was, she liked to think it was because of her. 

Percival King was proving to be a strange person so far. Strange, but not unlikeable. So far she had shown little to no reaction to anything Zora said, but Zora wasn’t complaining. She liked figuring people out, and if Percy took a little longer than most, then- well, it just made it all the more fun. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE let me know if you enjoyed this! It’s my first piece of writing in a while and my first work for this fandom. I’m not too certain on my Zora and I don’t think my Percy is all that good either so please let me know what you thought in the comments! Side note I wrote this whole darn fic at like 1am so please bear with any typos. Thanks for reading!
> 
> side note i did a bunch of questionable google searches such as “why do people get evicted” and a whole twenty minutes of fencing research for this lmao


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “ The empty section of the table was pristine, with almost no one sitting there at all- except for a red-haired boy on the end of the table, half-heartedly stirring his fork around in a bowl of pasta. Was he the reason everyone was avoiding this table? Percy narrowed her eyes.”
> 
> -
> 
> Or, Percy makes friends? acquaintences? with everyone’s favourite gerbil rat man
> 
> Special thanks to Windmill, Spectator, Egg and Anasten for beta-ing and to Moon for their moral support! This chapter would be nowhere near as good without them.  
> You can check Windmill out on tumblr @sappho-official and they also have an ao3 account! their writing is wonderful and i especially recommend them if you like percy x ramsey. you can read one of their fics, swine radio, here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21983563/chapters/52457899  
> Follow Anasten on tumblr or instagram @Anasten27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this chapter; i really wanted to make sure that my characterisation for Ramsey was good! please let me know what you think in the comments it really helps! any constructive criticism is also rly appreciated
> 
> Note: I do know that sweet jazz city is based in america but i don’t understand the american school system and don’t want to portray it wrong + the epithet erased world is different to our world so i’m basing it off my own school! I know I said that percy zora etc were L6 age/high school junior age but in this au i’m going to depict them as teens in their last year of GCSEs, for plot convenience (otherwise Zora and Percy would have very few opportunities to interact given the potential diversity of their a-level choices!) . year names are based on the british form system. The reason why percy’s arrival is such a stir is because in britain no one ever enters in the last year of GCSEs since your previous schools might have different exam boards etc but Sweet Jazz City High doesn’t give a damn lol

The lunchtime buzz had been growing steadily louder, and Percy could hardly hear her own thoughts by the time she’d walked into the lunch hall. There was no lunchtime rota at Sweet Jazz City High, meaning that all the different year groups ate together. It also meant that the lunch hall was always extremely loud. Not to mention crowded- there was hardly any way to enjoy lunch alone without being squished between two strangers. After nearly two weeks here, Percy was starting to think that the school had counted the number of students at the school and fitted exactly that number of spaces at the tables. 

She grabbed a sandwich off the rack and began making her way past the crowded tables. Was there  _ any  _ free space at all? What was she supposed to do if there wasn’t? She looked around the room. Surely there must be  _ some _ place…

There! In the corner! At last, Percy spotted a small clearing of seats at the end of one table. She began moving towards the table, when she suddenly stopped.  _ Why, though? _ If the lunch hall was so jam-packed, there must be a reason for  _ why _ there were seats available in that specific area and nowhere else. Perhaps someone had made a mess that was yet to be cleaned up. A spilt drink? A squashed sandwich? But, as she looked around, Percy realised that she didn’t exactly have a choice. The lunch hall was completely full, and if she didn’t sit down soon, she might not be able to sit down at all.  _ It’s probably just some spilt soda,  _ Percy told herself firmly, and made her way over to the table. 

Surprisingly, there was no mess to be seen. The empty section of the table was pristine, with almost no one sitting there at all- except for a red-haired boy on the end of the table, half-heartedly stirring his fork around in a bowl of pasta. Was  _ he _ the reason everyone was avoiding this table? Percy narrowed her eyes. She sat down nonetheless, taking a bite of her sandwich, but she didn’t take her gaze off him. 

The boy didn’t appear to notice her presence, but he didn’t seem to be eating his lunch either. He simply continued to play with his cutlery, his face angled so Percy couldn’t see. He didn’t seem that much of a threat, what with his general disinterest demeanour and skinny build; and he hadn’t made an attempt to attack Percy- verbally or physically- yet. Her instincts told her to be wary, but there were no physical signs of danger at all. So what was it that caused everyone to avoid him?  _ Mysteries upon mysteries, _ she thought.

“I can see you staring, you know.” The boy finally spoke, turning to look at Percy, who stiffened. The boy’s face was scrawny like the rest of him, with faded red hair, pointed ears and two restless eyes that darted across the room, gleaming with something she couldn’t quite place. Were those multiple piercings she saw? He didn’t seem scruffy like most teenage boys, but there was an air of nonchalance about him that Percy didn’t like. What she didn’t like even more was his lazy smirk, as though he knew something that she didn’t. Her hand darted instinctively to her sword. Boys like this were hardly more than delinquents or misfits, but you couldn’t be too certain. 

“So, what’s up?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Got distracted by my ugly rat face?”

_ Was that a rhetorical question?  _ “I was simply assessing the situation,” Percy replied coolly. “After all, it’s unusual for a single table to be so empty in a lunch hall full of people. It was the logical thing to do.”

“Well, you can’t blame people for avoiding this table.” He leaned over, his voice hushed. “They say it’s cursed.” 

“Really?” Percy’s eyes widened.

“Nah  _ (:3) _ .” The boy grinned at Percy’s look of annoyance. 

“Very funny. Not that I believed that for more than a second, although-” 

“But you believed me, even for just a second.” He smirked, leaning back in the chair. “Not so logical after all, dontcha think? But you haven’t screamed at the sight of my gross rat face yet, so that’s a bonus.”

“Is that... what people tend to do?” 

“Eh, mainly the younger kids, grade schoolers and all that.” He took a bite of spaghetti and made a face. “Blegh, school food. Anyway. They reckon I’m a pirate or something. It’s kinda funny though. Plus it makes them more willing talkers when I want info, so it isn’t all that bad.” 

“So you use your appearance to scare small children into spying for you? I don’t suppose  _ that’s _ the reason people avoid you.” Percy said. 

“Just kidding.” He smiled that same lazy smile again. “Though when you put it like that, it does sound pretty bad.” Suddenly, he picked up his tray and sat down opposite her. “You’re the new girl in my year, right? Percival King?” 

“Yes, that’s me.” Percy said curtly. Now that she could see his face clearly, he didn’t seem quite so bad. Perhaps if his other features were less… menacing, he might even have been friendly. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I know your name.”

“Oh. I thought you were a boy. Sorry.” Ramsey said, a little awkwardly.

“Yes, I do get that quite often. It’s quite alright.” she replied.

“Well, it's nice to meet you. I’m Ramsey. Ramsey Murdoch.” He grinned. “And people don’t avoid me.  _ This _ is a conscious decision.”

“You mean you choose to sit alone at lunch? Then how have you maintained at least five spare seats in the area around you?” Percy asked skeptically. “If people don’t mind you, then why haven’t these seats been taken? I can’t imagine people choosing not to sit in a free seat in a crowded dining room.”

“Someone’s got a lot of questions,” Ramsey remarked.

“I was simply curious.” 

“If you say so.” He shrugged. “Well, people listen if I threaten them. Especially with a knife.”

“I see.” Percy nodded, frowning. Just as she thought. “Do you have permission to carry such a weapon on you?” 

“Wait, you actually think- I was joking!” Ramsey spluttered. “I don’t own a knife. Or threaten people. Only birds.” 

It was Percy’s turn to be embarrassed. Of course he didn’t actually carry a knife. This was a school, after all. She had been so certain about Ramsey’s character that she’d jumped to conclusions and taken his jokes too literally. Perhaps he was more complex than she’d initially thought. “R-right.”

“Meh, it’s fine.” He said, with a wave of his hand. “To answer your question, no one likes this table because it’s right next to the teachers and you have to push past the rest of the lunch hall to get here. Also, it’s miles away from any radiators and it’s practically November already.”

“Oh. I see.”

“Although if you really wanted to know, some people think I’m a bit weird, but they’ve never bothered to talk to me outside of class so I don’t count their opinions.”

“So people  _ do _ avoid you.” said Percy. 

Ramsey rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay, I  _ know _ . But honestly, you should see some of the girls here. Never talked to them in my life, but apparently I give them ‘vibes’ or something.”

“And are these ‘vibes’ justified?”

“I guess? I mean, how am I supposed to know! I’ve never talked to them in my entire life.”

“Oh.” Percy hesitated. “That’s rather unfair of them.” 

“Mm-hm.” Ramsey hummed. “It’s no big deal though. I still have friends. Couple of girls’ opinions don’t matter to me- nothing against girls, of course,” He added, in case Percy was offended. “You know, if you want, I can introduce you to some friends of mine. Show you the ropes around here, since you don’t seem to have any friends to do that, or you’d have come into lunch with them. “ 

Percy didn’t know whether to be offended or not at that. In any case, it was true. She had hardly spoken to anyone outside of class since she’d arrived, besides maybe Zora the day before. And it would be nice to get a better grasp on school life if she didn’t want to be lost all the time. 

Ramsey was still talking. “If you want, I can tell you which ones to look out for and who the creeps are. Although I suppose you can do that yourself, judging by the way you were death-staring me when you first sat down.”

“Was that a jab?”

“Eh, more of a tease.” Ramsey smiled. There was no malice in his tone. “I’m not so bad now, am I?” 

“No.” Percy said, rather sheepishly. She was beginning to feel rather guilty for misjudging Ramsey now. There had been plenty of opportunities for him to act rudely or aggressively towards her in the last ten minutes, but he hadn’t done anything of the sort. He’d even offered to show her round and apologised when he realised she wasn’t a boy. And while he did make some interesting jokes, Percy doubted he meant any of them at all. She could feel a blush rising to her face as she realised her mistake. If only she hadn’t jumped to conclusions. 

“I suppose I should apologise,” Percy said. Ramsey looked up. “I can’t say I didn’t assume some things about you when I first saw you. But, having talked to you, I realise I made a mistake in my judgement. Of course, I hardly know you… but I can’t say you’re a bad person. I hope you can forgive me.” 

Ramsey looked surprised. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if unsure what to say.

“Wow. I was not expecting that,” He said at last. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself, Percival.”

“Please, call me Percy.” She replied, a small smile rising on her face, which quickly disappeared when she saw the time on the clock. “Oh dear. It seems we’ve been talking for quite a while. Lessons will be starting in ten minutes!” She stood up, shoved the remains of the sandwich in her mouth and swallowed. “It was nice talking to you.”

“Actually, lessons start in-” 

Percy had already walked off.

“-twenty minutes.” 

Ramsey set down his fork and sighed. “Guess I’m alone now.”

-

“Lessons start in twenty minutes?” Percy frowned, looking down at her time table. She could’ve sworn it was ten… She really should’ve taken Ramsey up on his offer earlier. 

“Alright there?” 

Percy nearly jumped. She turned to see Zora leaning against the wall, grinning down at her. 

“I’m fine.”

“Saw you talking to Ramsey at lunch today.” Zora remarked. “He alright to ya?”

“Well, yes.” Percy said, a little hesitantly. “He was quite nice, actually.”

“Really?” Zora said, though she didn’t seem surprised in the slightest. “Guess that’s a first. Never liked the guy myself. Annoying, snarky, constantly breaking my stuff- Sorry, personal grudge. Anyway. If you’re gonna be friends with Ramsey, though, you better watch out. You can’t tell what he’s thinking. It could take you ten years to figure out whether he’s serious about anything, or if he actually cares about you or not.” There was a bitter note in her voice. 

“He didn’t seem that way to me.” Percy said. Even so, she couldn’t help wonder if there was a little truth to Zora’s words. But then again, what business did Zora have, warning her about Ramsey like that? What did she want from her? 

“Like I said, you just don’t know with people like him.” Zora said, her expression hardening. “Doesn’t give a shit about anyone besides himself, that’s the sorta guy he is.”

“Really? He offered to show me around school. I doubt he’d do that if he didn’t care.”

Zora raised an eyebrow. “He said that, did he? Well then. You’d best be on guard, Percy. You’ll never know what he wants you for.” 

And with that, she walked away, leaving Percy even more confused than before. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments fuel my motivation! the more comments the faster i write lol bc it makes me wanna make more content for yall lovely ppl!! i do want to make sure all characterisation etc is on point tho so there may still be delays ><


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Despite Zora’s cryptic warning, Percy found herself talking to Ramsey again the next day... It was strangely enjoyable, despite the fact that all they were doing was a more civilised form of arguing, and after a few days, Percy began to look forward to meeting with him. 
> 
> And yet, Zora’s words would still surface in her mind from time to time, the seed of doubt she could never quite stamp out. Ramsey has proven himself countless times now... So why was she worried?"
> 
> YEEHAW ITS DRAMA TIME BOIS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay on this chapter; I had exams and recitals so everything got quite hectic but I stayed up till midnight to write this so I hope y'all like this! Chapter 4 soon? maybe? Also chapter 2 of A Lift Home is in progress, will come out soon! Thank you all for your amazing comments, I really appreciate it <3
> 
> Once again, thank you to Moon, Egg, Windmill and Anasten27 for beta work!
> 
> N.B- lexism, as stated by jello in a tumblr post, is epithet-based discrimination

Despite Zora’s cryptic warning, Percy found herself talking to Ramsey again the next day, as they discussed homework over some rather interestingly coloured pasta. And the day after that, this time complaining about teachers; and the day after  _ that _ , debating on whether crocs were acceptable footwear. 

Soon, they struck up an easy rhythm. Percy would come into lunch at the usual time, and Ramsey would already be there waiting. They’d greet each other, go through a few lines of small talk, then Ramsey would inevitably bring up something that had happened that day, and Percy would make a challenging remark, that Ramsey would rebuke, and they’d talk and talk until lunch break was over (Percy got the time right eventually). It was strangely enjoyable, despite the fact that all they were doing was a more civilised form of arguing, and after a few days, Percy began to look forward to meeting with him. 

And yet, Zora’s words would still surface in her mind from time to time, the seed of doubt she could never quite stamp out. Ramsey has proven himself countless times now, she told herself, and Zora clearly has personal history with him. If he wanted to take advantage of her, he would have done so already.

`

“So,” Ramsey said, taking a bite of his food. “I see you’ve been talking to Zora lately?”

“I doubt that’s any of your business, Ramsey.” Percy replied, without looking up from her plate.

“Hey, s’just an observation.” 

Percy shrugged and took a drink from her glass of water.  _ Could do with some butter _ , she thought. Ramsey didn’t seem to mind. He fiddled with his cutlery, then spoke. 

“Well, it’s not  _ technically _ my place, but as your very own SJCH guide and informant, you could say it’s part of my duty to inform you of any suspicious persons on school grounds.”

Percy smiled slightly. “What are you saying?”

“Just, you know, Zora can be real nasty if she wants to be. You can trust me on that, because I am  _ completely _ unbiased in this matter.” He smiled unconvincingly. “But really, any personal matters aside- she can be pretty damn vicious, and not just with words. She scratches  _ hard _ .” Ramsey shivered. 

“So you’re saying that I should avoid her?”  _ I’ve heard the same things about you,  _ she thought. Zora’s words echoed in her mind again.  _ You’d best be on guard, Percy... _

“I mean you’re probably fine, since she’s gotta like you to talk to you, but-” Ramsey attempted to take a sip from his pinecone- “Well, it’s like this. If Zora likes you, great! Wonderful! Ya get an occasional joke and as many fun times as she can physically squeeze into the ten minutes she’ll talk to you per month. If Zora really likes you- actually, I have no idea, but I’m assuming she can be nice if she wants to.” He waited expectantly. Percy didn’t laugh. 

He raised an eyebrow. “Anyway. If Zora doesn’t like you, on the other hand… How can I put this? You’re kinda screwed. If you’re a guy who wants a girl and Zora doesn’t like you? You’ll be single till you’re eighty. If you’ve ever done something to her, she’ll remember it, even if she blows it off.” Despite his words, Ramsey looked oddly nonchalant, though Percy supposed that was his default reaction to anything. “Come to think of it though, wasn’t there that one time- Ugh, too many exceptions. That girl’s moral compass is a roulette wheel.”

He stopped again. Percy blinked. “Dangit, Perce, am I that bad at jokes or are you just that stern all the time?”

“I didn’t see the need to laugh,” Percy frowned. “Clearly, this isn’t a laughing matter.”

Ramsey sighed. “Okay, maybe I was being a bit over dramatic, but Zora ain’t  _ that  _ bad. She can make angry dog noises at you all she wants, maybe complain extra loudly if she gets put with you in a group project, but she isn’t gonna sneak into your house and kill you in the middle of the night. If I didn’t know better,” he added, with a hint of a scowl, “I’d say she didn’t care enough.” 

There was something oddly familiar in Ramsey’s tone. It was the same hardened, slightly bitter note hidden behind an air of carelessness that darkened Zora’s words. An emotion Percy couldn’t name but even she (Percy still remembered her  _ many  _ moments of emotional ignorance with painful clarity) couldn’t help but pick up.  _ I supposed something personal must have come between them,  _ she thought.

Outwardly, she said, “I see.” And then, after a moment, “Then what should I do with this information?”

Ramsey shrugged. “Believe it, if you want. I ain’t tellin ya want to do. Just stating facts.”

_ That seemed slightly more than facts to me. _ “Then I suppose I should form my own judgement of her, based on my own experiences, but taking into account some of what you said.” 

“If that’s what you want. Like I said, it’s your decision.” Ramsey held his (sadly dry) pinecone aloft. “So, for today’s session: are pinecones an acceptable drink?”

Percy was quick to point out that “acceptable” could mean anything from “ingestible” to “non-toxic” to “decent, flavour-wise”. Ramsey conceded, but, as he put it, “If you can’t even drink from a pinecone, then it ain’t exactly ‘ingestible’.” Percy then disproved him by taking his pinecone and drinking 

from it, much to his horror.

“Uh,  _ how _ exactly are you doing that?”

“It’s quite simple. You just need to know the proper way to milk the cone.” Percy said, giving the pinecone a squeeze.

Ramsey shook his head. “Never say those words again.” 

The conversation about pinecones moved on to their favourite drinks as they left the lunch hall to go to class. Ramsey liked boba and iced coffee, although he preferred black coffee on exam nights; Percy drank water on every single day except for holidays, where she would have-

“Butter in water? For real?” Ramsey blinked. “No way.”

Percy nodded. “It’s quite a nice beverage. I have it with my breakfast as a treat.” 

“You have got to be kidding me.” Ramsey stared at his palm, contemplating whether to slam his face into it. “Next holiday we are going to town and I am buying you the full holiday range of drinks in every coffee shop in this city.”

“That sounds nice, I suppose. Though wouldn’t it be expensive?”

Ramsey waved his hand. “We’ll work out the logistics when we get there. Besides, I need you to taste boba first…”

He trailed off as they turned the corner. “Whoops!” He smiled nervously. “I, uh, just realised my lesson’s actually that way- I’ll see ya later!”

Percy nodded in his direction as he sped off, if a little confused as to why he seemed so nervous. But no sooner has she walked two more steps when she saw it. 

“And what makes ya think you’d get away with that?” 

A voice, unmistakably Zora’s, seemed almost deafening in the (mostly) silent corridor. The person she was talking to, a boy with green hair and narrowed eyes, stared defiantly back at her. Behind him a dark-haired girl stood trembling, her eyes wide. Around the three was a small crowd, mostly of younger students, though Percy spotted some girls from her class too. Some of them were shocked, some of the boys angry, but it was the girls’ expressions that caught Percy’s attention. Their eyes gleamed, and though they were scowling, they seemed oddly…  _ excited _ , Percy realised, as they leaned in eagerly to hear what Zora had to say. 

Zora herself, on the other hand, looked furious. “Ya think you’d have it easy just ‘cause you’re inscribed? Pathetic,” She spat. 

The green-haired boy was silent, though he looked away, as though ashamed. Zora seemed to have noticed, because she smirked. 

“Scared, are ya?” She taunted. “Why don’t you do something about it, if you’re such a manly man?”

The boy glared at Zora and lunged forward, his hand outstretched. But instead of grabbing her, he flicked his wrist. Percy watched in horror as pale skin began to morph into scales before her eyes, until the boy’s arm had transformed into a long, scaley tentacle, thrashing wildly. He flung it around Zora’s neck-

-but recoiled with a cry as she caught it in mid-air, twisting it hard. 

“Can’t fight back without your epithet, huh?” Her face contorted into a disgusted scowl. “What a loser. Clearly, someone would rather be expelled than get what he deserves.” 

The boy didn’t respond this time; he was too busy clutching his (now normal) arm and panting, glaring all the while. Percy couldn’t help but feel slightly sorry for him, but Zora wasn’t entirely wrong. Epithet use was strictly prohibited at schools, and even accidental use could land you in detention. Using it to harm another student like this would warrant suspension at the very least.

Percy couldn’t help but wonder what the boy had done for Zora publicly humiliate him like that. Was he an enemy of hers? Or, judging by her words, a simple act of lexism? Lexism against inscribed was rare, but not unheard of; and after Ramsey‘s warning she wasn’t sure what to think anymore. But surely,  _ someone _ would be sticking up for him…

“What was your epithet again?” Zora pretended to think for a moment. “Oh, I got it.  _ Snake, _ huh? Never liked snakes myself. Slimey, stinking little shits.” Her swear earned laughter from the crowd, and Zora grinned. “Just like you, oddly enough. I guess it’s only natural that a slippery, good for nothing bastard like you got a slippery, good for nothing epithet.”

“Fuck  _ off _ ,” The boy spat, but he kept his distance. 

“Ooh, spicy!” Zora said, cheerfully. Then she scowled. “Make me.” 

“You looking for a fight?”

“Nah, but I’d whoop your slimey ass any time.”

The girls cheered loudly, and even the timid girl from before had stopped shaking and smiled. Percy herself couldn‘t help but find herself rooting for Zora, as the boy flushed an angry red.  _ This is lexism!  _ Part of her cried.  _ You can’t endorse this!  _ But lexism was hardly approved of, and Percy doubted that was different here. So if the crowd was supporting Zora, there had to be another reason for her actions.  _ Wait. _ She told herself.  _ Wait and see. _

“Yeah?” The boy took a deep breath. “Well I’ll-” He glanced around wildly. ”I‘ll-“

”You’ll what? Flash your scales at me?”

The crowd roared with laughter as the boy slinked back, and Zora’s eyes gleamed. She grinned wider, almost menacingly as she leaned closer to the boy, still talking loudly so everyone could hear. 

“So, Dan, was it?” She reached her hand out and he recoiled, but Zora was faster. She grabbed him by the shoulder and drew him towards her. “I’m gonna let you get away with that  _ one _ time. Or next time, I won’t waste my breath.” And with that, Zora shoved him so hard he was sent sprawling backwards into the crowd.

“Now get out of my sight.” 

And she spat on the ground before his feet. 

There was silence. Then, his expression furious, Dan got to his feet and stormed off, the crowd staring in his wake. 

And then there was clapping. Cheering from the girls, many of whom were smiling widely; even the boys looked faintly amused, though some looked ashamed. Zora grinned and bowed.

“Thank you, thank you.” She said jokingly, tipping her hat to the crowd. The dark-haired girl from earlier took her by the hand and began chatted animatedly, and the crowd began to disperse.

Percy couldn’t help but smile, though she wasn’t quite sure what she just witnessed. Should she ask someone in the crowd? Or…

“Heya Percy!” Zora beamed. Percy nearly jumped. “Liked my little show?”

“Yes- well-” Percy began, then stopped herself. “What happened?”

“I whooped that kid’s ass.”

Percy winced a little at her language. “No, I mean- What made you yell at him like that?”

“Just now? Kid was chatting up some younger girl, tryna get her to go out with him e’en though she kept sayin no. Kept usin’ his epithet to try and scare her, pretty damn pathetic if you ask me. Wouldn’t stop ogling her in the corridor either…”

God. So this was what that was about… Percy felt stupid for jumping to conclusions. And after her realisation about Ramsey, too!  _ I guess I’m not as impartial as I thought…  _ Really, who wouldn’t intervene in such a scenario? And even though Zora’s language was brash, she was doing the right thing, calling Dan out like that… and the dark haired girl back then must have been the one Dan was harassing! No wonder she had looked so scared. And she’d gone up to Zora afterwards, too…

Percy felt like an idiot. She was sure she was blushing now, though Zora hadn’t noticed, as she was still talking-

“Really, though, it was just a matter of time. He gets on my nerves.” She scowled. “I hate those kids, waving their epithets around like they’ve got somethin special… Anyway.” She waved her hand, as though the matter was over. “S’no big deal. You coming to English?”

English. Right. They still had lessons, and there was just over a minute left before the bell rang. “Yes, of course.” Percy said. Inwardly, she was just glad that Zora hadn’t turned out to be such a bad person after all. She had assumed the worst based off the few words she had heard, just like she had with Ramsey…

Speaking of Ramsey. She could hear his warning still, along with Zora’s, each warning her against the other, each telling her to stay away for her own good.  _ But if you’re both good people, who am I supposed to trust?  _ But the more she thought about it, Percy realised that she had known the answer all along. 

It was time for her to form her own judgement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! As always, comments fuel the muse and the motivation bc then I feel like I need to get something done so u guys won't be disappointed in me lol
> 
> always let me know what u really liked and if there's something i could improve on!
> 
> side note, i'm thinking of starting a side story series for other things in this AU that won't fit into the main storyline (mainly bc i wanna write mera babysitting indus) so let me know if you would be interested in that!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Just then, the door opened with a creak. Zora looked up to see Percy, a vaguely confused look on her face. 
> 
> 'Are we allowed to be here?' She asked, her voice hushed. 'There’s no sign of a teacher anywhere.' She gestured to the empty librarian’s desk. 
> 
> 'Sure we are.' Zora said loudly, and Percy winced. 'Don’t worry ‘bout it, there’s never anyone here.' She grinned. 'And you can talk normally, there’s no one else here but me.'"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all i am SO SORRy for the massive gap between chapters.... i got really busy irl dfghjk  
> secondly, i hope you all enjoy! I hope this hangs together okay since i took a massive break in between writing the first and second half of this chapter lol and i finally got round to finishing now that we're all in quarantine. stay safe everyone! <3

Sometimes, Zora really wished she could drive. Okay, _maybe_ it was her fault that she chose a motorcycle (a moped, because she’s not old enough, but _shhh_ ) over a car because “cars don’t fit the _aesthetic_ , mom!”, but how was she supposed to know she had to wear a helmet on the blasted thing all the time? Or rather, she knew, but she didn’t think they’d care so much. Spoiler alert, she was wrong. 

And so, after a ridiculously long string of events involving crashing into the school railing, leaving a massive dent in said railing, her maths teacher (god, she hated that woman), a safety lecture from _both_ her parents _and_ getting concussed, the nearly unanimous decision was that Zora should not be allowed to ride her ~~moped~~ motorcycle until she could prove that she would drive safely. Naturally, Zora protested, but what use was that?

So here she was, stuck in the library after school until her father got off work and could pick her up. It could be worse, she mused. _At least it’s quiet here._ She looked down at the massive pile of homework in front of her. _I take it back. This is the worst._ Zora sighed, and picked up her pen. It was time to work. 

Two minutes and far too many crossings-out later, Zora chucked her pen across the room in frustration. She was supposed to be good at this, goddamnit. Why did maths have to be so hard? _Maybe I should have paid attention after all…_

Just then, the door opened with a creak. Zora looked up to see Percy, a vaguely confused look on her face. 

“Are we allowed to be here?” She asked, her voice hushed. “There’s no sign of a teacher anywhere.” She gestured to the empty librarian’s desk. 

“Sure we are.” Zora said loudly, and Percy winced. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, there’s never anyone here.” She grinned. “And you can talk normally, there’s no one else here but me.” 

“Right...” Percy still looked a little hesitant, but she pulled up a chair opposite Zora, sat down, and began doing what was presumably her homework. Zora glanced over at the sheet. _Circle theorems..._ Wasn’t that what Zora was doing? Percy clearly wasn’t having any trouble, however- she was already far past the question Zora had gotten stuck on. 

“Say, Percy, could ya help me with some maths homework?” 

“Of course. That is, if said help doesn’t involve me doing all the work.” Percy added with a frown. 

Zora laughed. “Pfft, come on, who do ya think I am? I ain’t in the top class for maths for nothing. Math is easy! ...Well, usually. Just explain what all this means and I’ll have it done in no time!” 

Was she imagining it, or was there a hint of a smile on Percy’s face? “If you say so.” Percy stood up and peered over Zora’s sheet, tilting her head so she could see it better. “You appear to be stuck on the first question.”

“Yeah, I’m aware.” Zora muttered. “So? You gonna explain it or what?”

“I’m getting there.” Percy said, without looking up. 

“Well get there _faster_.” Zora whined. 

“My apologies, but if you want me to explain this question, you could at least allow me time to think it through first.” Percy said, in complete deadpan. 

“Jesus, Perce, ever heard of something called banter?” 

Percy flushed. “I can’t say-” She began. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise-”

“Hey, it’s fine. Anyway. Explain the maths problem?” 

“Oh. Right.” Percy cleared her throat. “This line here is a tangent to the circle, stemming from the same point as the other line, also a tangent to the circle. Therefore they are the same length, which means that if you draw a line here, you should be able to form…”

-

“...and then you can find the angle x.” Percy finished. “I hope my explanation was satisfactory.” 

“What? Yeah, it was great.” Zora said, still scribbling away. “And then you divide that by two, right?” She asked, pointing at one of the angles.

Percy nodded.

“Cheers. Thanks, Perce.”

“You’re welcome.” Percy replied, sitting back down. There was a moment of silence as Zora stared off into space. In theory, she should be making the most of her time and doing her other assignments, but could she be bothered? Her gaze drifted across the room. Lying on the table next to Percy, was, for lack of more eloquent terms, a _real ass sword_ . Specifically, Percy’s fencing sabre, though this was the first time Zora had seen it up close. _Speaking of fencing..._

“Don’t you have fencing after school, or something?” Zora asked.

Percy looked up. “Yes, although my session today was cancelled. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

_Cool as ever, huh? She didn’t even look surprised to hear that I remembered._ “Do you have multiple swords?” 

“Yes.” 

Zora raised an eyebrow at the short answer. “You have a favourite one?”

“Not really.”

“I see.” She didn’t. Not when Percy was giving her such short answers, anyway. “You do competitions?”

“Sometimes.”

“D’you live near school?”

Percy narrowed her eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“Wow, someone’s defensive.” 

“I hardly know you. One can never be certain what others might do with such information.”

_How am I supposed to get to know you if this is how you reply to me?_ Zora wanted to say. “That’s fair, I guess.” She said aloud. “So, what have you heard about me?” 

Percy stiffened. “What?” 

_Oh, Percy… Well, I can’t say I didn’t expect that._

“I said, what have you heard about me?” Zora replied, looking Percy in the eye.

Percy held her gaze, but said nothing.

“Come on, I’m not dumb. You were full of answers last time we talked, and now you’re replying in one word sentences? _Please_.”

“I’m sure you already know.” Percy deflected. 

“I don’t, but I’m sure I could find out from someone else if you don’t talk.” 

Percy went silent again, and Zora sighed.

“Look, I’m not gonna bite your head off just yet. I just wanna know.”

“Well,” Percy said, then paused. “I-”

“Who told you?”

More silence.

“I’m not gonna tell them anything, I just want to know.”

“It wasn’t a specific person.” Percy said at last. “More of a collective belief, I would say.” 

“I see.” She didn’t, but she chose to ignore that for now. “A belief that I’m, what, dangerous?”

“...something like that.” Percy admitted. 

“I see. Well, Percy, I could say the same about you.” 

Percy’s eyes widened. “What?”

“There are things goin’ round about you right now, and you ain’t got the faintest clue.”

“What sort of things?” 

“Ain’t important.”

“But-” 

“And now you know how it feels when someone withholds important information from ya. But you see, that hasn’t stopped me from tryna talk to you now, has it? It’s not like you’ve ever done anything to me, have you?” 

Percy was silent. “I can’t say I have.” 

“Well, then. There you have it.”

And the room was silent again. Despite the situation, Zora couldn’t help smiling a little. She was right, as always, and she got what she needed from the conversation, as always. She couldn’t pretend her reputation didn’t bother her, but it was nice to know she was still considered dangerous. That always came in handy… Except when you wanted to get to know people, because they tended to run away screaming.

Zora liked to think she had a pretty good grasp on Percy, despite only having known her for a few weeks. A star student and impressive athlete, she had the image of an aloof, mysterious hottie (Zora wanted to say _bad boy_ , but Percy was anything but bad)- but that image was all but shattered once you actually talked to her. Percy stuck to the rules like a fruit sticker on your apple, befriended the strangest of people, and above all, was plain _weird_ . Rumours about Percy ranged from her being homeschooled her whole life to having escaped from a nunnery to secretly being part of a terrorist group (“I mean, what kind of monster drinks water with butter in it?”) , and no one knew much about her. Not that anyone other than Zora _wanted_ to get to know her, anyway. 

So when Zora started talking to Percy, it was partly for her own gain, partly out of sheer curiosity, and partly because she wanted to be known as the only person who could crack the code that no one else seemed to understand. She wanted to be able to stand in front of Sweet Jazz City High with Percy at her side and hear them whisper. She wanted them to wonder, “What does Zora Salazar have that I don’t? Why is she the only one that can talk to Percy?” 

If only Ramsey hadn’t gotten in there first…

Well, she could always let the two of them be weirdos together. But that wouldn’t be as fun, would it?

“Zora, why…” Percy began. Zora looked up.

“Why what?”

“Why are you trying to talk to me? You know what other people have said about me, and you know how I think of you. Why make the effort at all?” 

“Always the perceptive one, eh?” Zora said. “You see, I decided to make my own judgement.”

Percy said nothing. And then, “I see.”

“Is that all you’re gonna say?”  
  
“Is there something I’m supposed to say?” Percy blinked. 

Zora shrugged, and stood up. “Nothing in particular. I’ve gotta go now, but if you want, we could forget all about that last conversation we had.” 

“What are you saying?”  
  
“I’m saying we forget what other people have told us and start over. Talk to each other properly. We could even be friends, if you like. Unless, of course, you don’t want to-”

“No, I- I think I’d quite like that, actually.” 

And there it was again. That faint hint of a smile on Percy’s face, just barely surfacing. The one that made Zora’s inner voice yell, “SCORE!”. 

“Well then,” Zora said, smiling a little herself, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Percy.”  
  


And as she was walking away from the library, she couldn’t help but yell, “Take that, Ramsey!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, comments fuel the muse inside, so please leave one if you can!  
> also, a lift home chapter soon? maybe? we'll see....


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why would Zora, someone who hardly cared about anything or anyone, speak to her with such genuine-seeming interest in her eyes? No, not just that- Why would Zora approach her in the first place? It wasn’t like she stood out or anything. 
> 
> “Percy?”
> 
> But Zora had mentioned rumours about her that time in the library. Was that why? Did she see Percy as a threat? An object of curiosity? Or, perhaps, someone to be pitied…
> 
> “--gonna burn a freaking hole through your pasta if you keep that up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello yes I am alive...
> 
> This is mostly a filler chapter... sorry ;w; I know my writing's quite boring, especially when writing character thoughts- my writing style's become a lot less stiff lately but I didn't want to be really inconsistent (plus it suits Percy's methodical thinking style) so I'll probably use a more fluent style with Zora since she jumps all over the place? Also the plot thickens in chapter 7 and onwards! most of the part here is just set-up. I'm also considering writing a different high school AU, except this one is where Percy is a model student and Zora's a notorious delinquent and it's about them becoming actual friends, and epithets aren't a thing (let me know if you're interested :0).

It was strange, Percy thought, how quickly people settled into things. Another week had passed- nearly a month since she had first transferred- and somehow, despite befriending two of the most infamous students at Sweet Jazz City High, everything was okay. She still had her lunchtime meetings with Ramsey, she still had good grades, and she was still on friendly terms with Zora. Even if the other girl made her nervous. Percy could never tell what she was thinking- well, Percy could hardly _ever_ tell what anyone was thinking, but Zora was even harder to read than most. 

That’s why she couldn’t help but stiffen whenever Zora Salazar approached her in the corridor with what seemed to be a friendly wave. 

“Hey there, Perce!” She said with a grin. She always did that. Zora was always smiling, in a way that made it hard to tell whether she was being genuine or not. And she would always follow up with-

“How’s it going?”

“Fine.” Percy would always answer, as neutrally as she can, and attempt to walk away- 

-But Zora always pouted and said “Is that all you’re gonna say?” and Percy couldn’t just _leave_ after she did that. What kind of heartless person would she be? 

So Percy found herself talking more and more to Zora Salazar, whether she liked it or not. And over the course of the last few weeks, she had learnt several things about the other girl. 

Firstly, Zora was indisputably gifted. Her thoughts moved faster than Percy could swing a sword, jumping from one conclusion to the next. She never had to pay attention in class because all she had to do was stare at the page for a little while and understand everything perfectly. And lastly, what Percy was most jealous of- she always picked up on even the subtlest of social cues, shooting retorts to jabs (friendly or otherwise) Percy never realised were there. And she did this all with a shit-eating grin on her face. 

Secondly, Zora was indisputably lazy. Even though she could pay attention or do her own homework, she preferred to sit and stare out of the window in lessons and do the bare minimum of work to get her a good report (Zora once bragged to her that the teachers liked her, so she _always_ got a good report). As for homework, she tended to rely on either Percy or Mera, a dark-haired girl who sat next to her in English. But despite her blatant lack of effort, Zora managed to coast through school. It was terribly unfair, Percy thought- but she couldn’t bring herself to resent Zora, or push her away.

And thirdly- Zora despised Epithets. Percy had seen her muttering insults at powerful inscribed on several occasions, and though she disrespected all teachers, it was the inscribed teachers she provoked the most. The hatred in her tone was strong enough to make Percy shudder (it took a lot to make her notice it in the first place) and she couldn’t help wonder if Zora would stay her friend if she knew she was inscribed. She feared Zora’s wide, unreadable grin, but she feared her glare more. 

So why couldn’t she leave her alone?

“Uh, Perce, you’ve been staring at your pasta for the last five minutes.” Ramsey said, frowning. “I know you do that a lot, but that’s gotta be a new record.”

“My apologies.” Percy replied, taking a bite of her now-lukewarm pasta. “I was merely lost in thought.”

“Yeah, that’s been happening a lot lately. You need a map or something?”

“I don’t see how that would help, seeing as this is a mental matter, not physical.” 

“Yeah, okay…” Ramsey didn’t seem convinced. Percy wasn’t sure why. But she dismissed the matter for now, and returned to her previous train of thought.

It wasn’t like Zora didn’t have other friends. Percy knew that. She _was_ the most popular girl at Sweet Jazz City High after all, and not just in their year group. So why would she pick Percy, who was perfectly happy all on her own (or with Ramsey)? Did she hate Ramsey so much that she couldn’t bear to let him have any friends to speak of? 

No, that was too much, even for Zora. In fact, she wouldn’t even bother. Probably. Percy wasn’t great at reading people, but Zora had a blatantly flippant attitude towards everything. Well, everything except their conversations…

“Uh, Perce?”

And that was exactly why Percy couldn’t trust her. Why would Zora, someone who hardly cared about anything or anyone, speak to her with such genuine-seeming interest in her eyes? No, not just that- Why would Zora approach her in the first place? It wasn’t like she stood out or anything. 

“Percy?”

But Zora had mentioned rumours about her that time in the library. Was that why? Did she see Percy as a threat? An object of curiosity? Or, perhaps, someone to be pitied…

“--gonna burn a freaking hole through your pasta if you keep that up.” Ramsey was saying, jerking Percy out of her thoughts. “Seriously, what’s up?”

“I already told you. I was just thinking.” Percy said.

To tell the truth, she hadn’t yet told Ramsey that she was- friends? Acquaintances? Friendly acquaintances? With Zora just yet. Given their seeming hostility toward each other, she decided it might just make things worse. 

“Yeah, but people don’t usually think that intensely.” Ramsey gave her a look. What it was supposed to mean, Percy couldn’t quite tell. “What were you thinking about? My imminent doom?”

“Nothing important.” Percy lied. The words left a bad taste in her mouth. “Just, well, life.” She added, in an attempt to make herself feel better. 

“Mhm.” Ramsey said. “Right, totally.”

“Was that sarcastic?” Percy asked. 

“Mighta been.”

“I was being honest.” She lied again, trying to hide her frown. 

“Riiiiiight.” Ramsey rolled his eyes. “Now I know why you’re such a model citizen. You’re awful at lying.” 

“Do you want me to apologise?”

“Wha- I mean, if you want? I’d rather you told me the truth though. I mean, I _am_ your best friend.” Ramsey winked cornily. 

“You’re my only friend.” Percy replied. Somehow, the words felt uncomfortable again. But it wasn’t a lie- She didn’t know what Zora was to her, but she definitely wasn’t a friend. 

“Yeah, and that automatically makes me your best friend. I don’t make the rules.” Ramsey shrugged, but he had a mischievous grin on his face. 

“Very well.” Percy conceded. “Then, I shall do as you wish.” She paused. What was she supposed to say? Where was she even supposed to start? “I’ve got a complicated relationship with someone I’m fairly sure you hate and told me to avoid, and now it’s all I can think about? Oh, and that person also told me there are rumours about me which I temporarily forgot because I was so busy thinking about them, but it still makes me feel really insecure?” 

“Well,” She began. 

“Well? As in the adjective, or the nou-”

“Well, a few weeks ago I heard that rumours about me exist and I’m not sure what to believe, since they seem to be knowledgeable about such things and it would be more beneficial of me to be cautious, but then again they warned me about you-” 

Percy stopped suddenly. Did he hear that last part?

Ramsey sat and thought for a moment. Then, he straightened, and asked, “Okay, so what did Zora say to you?”

“Excuse me?”

Ramsey sighed. “You only talk to two other people regularly, and it’s me and Zora. So, what did Zora say to you?”

“Are you offended?” 

“I mean, yeah, a little, since you ignored my warning and all- but it hasn’t made you like me any less, so not really.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise, keep talking.” Ramsey said with a wave of his hand. “I already said I wasn’t offended.”

“Alright.” Percy said, a little hesitantly. She glanced at Ramsey. He didn’t _look_ offended, but she couldn’t tell if that was how he really felt. Would it come to bite her later if she continued?

She continued anyway.

“All she mentioned was that people didn’t think too highly of me. It’s not much of a problem.” 

“You say that, but it’s gotta be a pretty big problem if you’re burning a hole in your pasta because of it.”

“Well, that’s- that’s because it wasn’t the only thing I was thinking about.” Percy said. 

“About time you admitted it.” Ramsey sighed again. “Look, I’m not gonna make you talk about anything, but at least tell me if there’s something bothering you. Because I can tell and this insecure rat boy gets worried over whether it’s me or not.”

“You’ve never bothered me.” Percy replied truthfully. “Well, not since our first meeting, anyway.”

Ramsey seemed a little taken aback. “Oh- thank you.” He said. “I mean it, really, I was just- surprised.” He added, catching Percy’s eye. 

“Anyway, is Zora the other thing you were thinking about, by any chance?” 

“How did you-”

“Because I’m a genius, and it’s pretty obvious.” Ramsey said matter-of-factly. “Zora’s a complicated girl. Pretty unnecessarily complicated, if you ask me. But if she keeps talking to you- and before you ask, Perce, I know because I _see_ the two of you in the corridor together, and you look awkward as hell- then it’s probably because she likes you. Zora doesn’t go out of her way to talk to people she hates unless she’s in a really bad mood. Trust me, I’d know.”

So Zora liked her? Enough to talk to her multiple times? Still, Percy couldn’t help but wonder why. 

“If you’re wondering why, don’t bother. Zora’s brain works in mysterious ways, I’m tellin’ ya. It probably ain’t pity though. She hates that stuff.”

“So... she likes me?” 

“Uh, yeah.” Ramsey snorted, as though it were obvious. “She wouldn’t talk to you otherwise.” 

“But why?”

“I just told ya. Don’t bother. Go ask her yourself if you’re that curious.” Ramsey said. “Moving on- People are going to talk about everyone at some point. You’re just the subject of it because you’re new. Besides, if people don’t talk to you because of some rumour, then you’re better off without them anyway. That’s what I tell myself, and it works pretty well.” 

_But sometimes people avoid you no matter what._ Percy thought. _Sometimes it’s everyone. Does that mean I’m better off alone...?_

Memories rose to the surface, for a split second, but Percy pushed them back down. _I’m not alone anymore, though._

“Thank you.” Percy said, surprised at how light she suddenly felt. It was as though a literal weight had been lifted from her chest. 

“Don’t thank me, s’what I’m here for.” Ramsey said, but Percy thought she saw him smile a little. “And speaking of what I’m here for, I figured I should tell you since you didn’t know- Founder’s day is a month today.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, comments are my muse! I'm very hyped atm so I'll probably prewrite chapters 6 & 7 and post them weekly, but comments are what really keep me going! i actually got motivated to keep writing this because I was re-reading some lovely comments y'all made ;w;


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW For sort of panic attacks/anxiety attacks and depictions of bullying (just verbal)
> 
> The panic part starts at "Time seemed to freeze" and ends at "She wasn't sure how long had passed". 
> 
> The bullying is from "and Percy could hear what they were saying clearly" to the start of the panic section.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha guess who was hyped and wrote all of chapter 6 in one setting? No beta this time bc it was fast and also my regular beta seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth ;w; 
> 
> Anyway please enjoy! Also let me know if Percy's breakdown is written okay, it's a new style i'm trying out.

“Founder’s day?” Percy asked with a frown. 

“Yep. Gotta honour the old guy who founded Sweet Jazz City High, after all,” Ramsey said, rolling his eyes. “But you get to miss class, so there’s that. Basically, we stop having lessons for a day and put on a whole fair instead. You know, with stalls and games and the like.” 

“That sounds… quite fun, actually.” Percy said. 

“Fun for _you_ , maybe." Ramsey made a face. “It’s supposed to be an inter-house competition and all that, so some idiots get all serious about it and get mad at you if you aren’t. Speaking of which, what house are you in?” 

“Iris. You?” Percy replied, staring off into the distance. A few tables across, a small commotion appeared to be breaking out, with one student gesturing violently at another.

Ramsey grimaced. “Zinnia. I’m stuck with all the gossipy girls.” 

“I wasn’t aware they sorted people into houses based on personality traits.” Percy replied, still watching the fight. Some strawberry yogurt appeared to be involved, seeing as there were pink stains all over the table. Or was it raspberry?

“They don’t, it’s just a coincidence. Or at least that’s what they say. You never know.” Ramsey shrugged. “Anyway, let’s head back to class. You’ve got Chem next, right?”

“Mhm.” One of the students, a tall, blonde girl, began to walk towards them- presumably aiming to dispose of the spilt yogurt in the bin behind their table. But suddenly, she made her way over to their table, just as Percy had stood up to leave. 

“Classic Zinnia girl right there.” Ramsey said in a low voice. Percy frowned.

The blonde girl didn’t hear him. “You’re the new student, right? Percival?” She said, in a tone Percy couldn’t quite place. 

“Yes, though I’m not sure I would classify new, since I have been here for around a month now.” Percy replied. 

The blonde girl frowned. She didn’t seem to look happy, but she didn’t seem to look angry either. “I see.” She said, quietly. “So you’ve settled in, have you?”

“Yes.” Percy replied, a little more curtly than usual. There was only another fifteen minutes before lessons started, and she really wanted to ask the teacher some questions before the lesson. “Can I help you?” 

The girl frowned again. “I just wanted to talk to you for a bit, since you don’t seem to talk to anyone very often.” She said. “And you don’t seem to have friends.”

“Oh. Well, Ramsey’s my friend.” Percy replied. Did she not know? As far as she remembered, news travelled fast in schools, and eating together at lunch was what friends did together, right? “And Zora, I suppose.” 

“Interesting choice of friends you have, Percival. I didn’t think you’d be friends with Zora.” 

Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Somehow, the girl’s tone of voice made Percy feel uncomfortable, even though she didn’t know what it was. Come to think of it, why were they having this conversation in the first place? There was no need, after all. 

“Thank you.” Percy said, just in case she meant it as a good thing. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way to lessons.” And she walked away quickly before the other girl- or Ramsey- had a chance to speak again. 

-

Percy wasn’t quite sure _why_ she wanted to leave the dining hall; she just did. Perhaps it was the blonde girl’s frown, or her strange tone of voice, or the fact that they were having a pointless discussion about pointless things when Percy could be asking her teacher about the homework on molar enthalpy. Regardless, she kept walking until she had left the building entirely, when she realised she needed to go to the bathroom. 

So she made a quick U-turn when she heard muffled voices coming from inside the nearby building. Suddenly, the door opened, and Percy could hear what they were saying clearly. 

“She’s so _quiet_.” One girl was saying. “She only gives you one-word answers, too.” 

“I know, right!” Another girl replied. Her voice sounded familiar. Perhaps she was one of Percy’s classmates, though she couldn’t be sure. “And she sounds so bored all the time, like her voice is all flat, you know?”

_Who could they be talking about?_ Percy frowned. Should she confront them? It wasn’t nice of them to talk about someone else behind their back, after all. 

“Yeah, exactly! She _looks_ bored too, actually. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her smile.” The first girl said. “I bet she just thinks she’s better than all of us. ‘Cept for _Zora_ , of course.” 

“Of _course_ she’s cozying up to Zora.” A third voice said. “Mind you, she still looks bored then. Hey, you know some people think she’s from a terrorist group?” 

_A terrorist? In this school?_ Percy’s eyes widened, and she moved closer to the door so she could hear them better. 

“What, for real?!” The first girl laughed. “Nah, come on, she’s probably just filthy rich and homeschooled. What do you think, Miranda? You’re the one who talked to her.” 

“Not by _choice._ ” Miranda, the familiar-sounding girl replied, sounding annoyed. “I tried talking to her in class once, to see if the rumours were true. All she said was like, three words, and then she ignored me for the rest of the lesson. Talk about rude.” 

“Probably dangerous, too. I still think she’s in a terrorist group. I mean, why else would she carry a sword around?”

_Oh._

Time seemed to freeze. Percy heard fragments of the girls’ laughter from deep underwater, growing louder and softer and louder and softer as she ran, her fists clenched so tightly they were turning white. It morphed into high-pitched cackling, childish laughter she couldn’t seem to forget nearly ten years later, and all of a sudden she was panting and she needed to _hide_ and her chest hurt, why did her chest hurt? She was just running, that's all, just running- running away like a _coward, it’s just words Percy, this wouldn’t have happened if you were normal-_ She needed to find Ramsey, or Zora, or _anyone_ , anyone- No, she needed to hide, no one could see her now- 

Where? Where were they? Where should she hide? Where was she going? What was she supposed to do? All she knew was that she had to keep running, _she had to keep running-_

_Why are you crying, Percy? It’s just words. Words can’t hurt you._

But they could, they were real and they _hurt_ , no matter how childish it was-

Because no matter how many times she transferred, no matter how many times she moved away, she could run from the people but she never escape the words-

_It’s your fault for not being normal in the first place._

Percy knew that, she _knew_ and it just made it worse, because it was the truth and there was nothing she could do about it. 

Just when she thought she had friends- 

Just when everything was going _well_ at school for once- 

She found herself pushing open a door. 

_Earlier, that blonde girl- Was she testing me? Did she talk to me just to see what I’d do?_

_Should I have been nicer? How do I be nicer?_

And then- _Zora was right. Of course Zora was right. You just didn’t want to believe her-_

_You thought you were normal because you suddenly have a friend-_

And suddenly she was behind a locked door and collapsed on the floor, crying into her hands. _Like a child,_ Percy thought, shame bubbling up inside of her. _Like a coward._ But shame gave way to guilt, and more tears, and she curled into herself against the wall, too tired to do anything else but sit there and sob while her heart was still pounding out of her chest. 

She wasn’t sure how long had passed when she finally lifted her head and wiped her tears on a crumpled tissue she fished out of her pocket (the toilet roll was empty). At the very least, she hoped she wasn’t late for class. She didn’t want to have to explain to the teacher what had just happened- though she wasn’t sure if she could face her classmates while looking a mess.

_I suppose I’ll take a moment to freshen up._ She thought, and opened the door-

-only to find one Zora Salazar standing there, in all her six foot tall glory. 

“Hiya.” She said, beaming- then her expression changed when she saw Percy’s tearstained face. “Uh, Perce? You good?”

“I’m fine.” Percy replied quickly. “A little emotional, perhaps, but fine.” She attempted a smile. 

Zora didn’t look convinced. “If you say so. But tell me if there’s anyone you need beating up, alright?” 

“I’d rather not resort to violence, but I appreciate the sentiment.” 

Zora raised an eyebrow. “Stiff as usual, ey?” 

Percy winced at her choice of words. Zora seemed to notice, because she quickly added, “Sorry, I didn’t mean- you know. All that," She said, a little awkwardly. "Which I’m gonna assume is why you’re crying?”

Percy nodded. “Can we just- get back to class?” 

Was it Percy's imagination, or did Zora look disappointed? “Sure, if you want.” She said. “Seriously, though, if someone hurts you, I want to know. And tell me their names, so I can go talk to them.”

  
 _You don’t need to_ , Percy wanted to say, but she was tired and Zora looked so determined that she didn’t bother. Besides, she didn’t want Zora’s help, when it was Zora’s warning she had ignored in the first place. And so they walked quietly until they reached their classroom, the distance between them as wide as ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the 6th time, Comments are my muse and will probably make me write another chapter in the span of three hours all over again! i love you all! and I also might be writing chapter 3 of A Lift Home tomorrow


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